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Quick answer: If you loved One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus, try Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus, One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson, The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.
Five students enter detention at Bayview High, a brain, a beauty, a criminal, an athlete and an outcast, and only four leave alive. The one who dies, Simon, ran a gossip app that was about to expose each of their secrets. Karen M. McManus’s debut is a modern take on The Breakfast Club and a whodunit rolled into one, and it became a huge hit with teens. The picks below share its school settings, ensemble casts, secrets and cliffhanger chapters. Most are YA mysteries for ages 13 and up.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love One of Us Is Lying
Readers love One of Us Is Lying because every character is a suspect. Karen M. McManus tells the story from four narrators, so you see how each of them reacts as the police investigation tightens, and the five students, who seem like stereotypes at first, turn out to have much more depth. The secrets that Simon planned to reveal are believable and often sad, and the chapters end on hooks that make it hard to stop reading. The show adaptation continues the story’s popularity.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about One of Us Is Lying: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most. The FAQ at the bottom answers the questions readers ask most often.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| One of Us Is Next | Karen M. McManus | YA mystery | Continuing the series |
| Two Can Keep a Secret | Karen M. McManus | YA mystery | Small-town secrets |
| The Cousins | Karen M. McManus | YA mystery | Family secrets |
| A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder | Holly Jackson | YA mystery | A teen detective |
| Truly Devious | Maureen Johnson | YA mystery | Boarding school cold cases |
| The Inheritance Games | Jennifer Lynn Barnes | YA mystery | Puzzles and riddles |
| And Then There Were None | Agatha Christie | Classic mystery | Ten suspects, one killer |
| We Were Liars | E. Lockhart | YA mystery | A shocking twist |
| The Cheerleaders | Kara Thomas | YA mystery | Cold cases |
| Pretty Little Liars | Sara Shepard | YA mystery | Secrets and gossip |
| The Naturals | Jennifer Lynn Barnes | YA thriller | Teen profilers |
| Ten | Gretchen McNeil | YA thriller | A modern And Then There Were None |
| Ace of Spades | Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé | YA thriller | Dark school secrets |
| Dangerous Girls | Abigail Haas | YA thriller | Trial and suspects |
| A Study in Charlotte | Brittany Cavallaro | YA mystery | Sherlock Holmes descendants |
1. One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
A game of truth or dare turns dangerous at Bayview High. It returns to familiar characters.
2. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
A girl returns to a town where girls keep going missing, and her aunt disappeared years ago. It’s creepy and twisty.
3. The Cousins by Karen M. McManus
Three cousins are invited to their grandmother’s island resort after being cut out for years. It’s atmospheric.
4. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Pip investigates a murder as her school project. It’s twisty and addictive.
5. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
A true-crime-loving teen goes to a school where a famous murder took place.
6. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A girl inherits a fortune from a stranger and must solve puzzles in his mansion.
7. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Ten strangers on an island are killed one by one. It’s the best-selling mystery of all time.
8. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
A wealthy family’s summer island hides a secret. It’s lyrical and sad.
9. The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
Five years after five cheerleaders died, a girl digs into the old case.
10. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
Four friends receive messages from a mysterious person who knows their secrets.
11. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
A teen with a gift for reading people joins an FBI program.
12. Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Ten teens at a weekend party on an island start to die. It’s a fun, fast retelling.
13. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Two students are targeted by an anonymous texter who knows their secrets.
14. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
A girl is on trial for murder in Aruba.
15. A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
The great-great-grandchildren of Holmes and Watson solve a murder.
How to Pick Your Next Teen Mystery After One of Us Is Lying
- Want more McManus? One of Us Is Next and Two Can Keep a Secret.
- Want a teen detective? A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
- Want puzzles? The Inheritance Games.
- Want a locked-island mystery? Ten and And Then There Were None.
- Want boarding school? Truly Devious.
- Want a twist? We Were Liars.
One of Us Is Lying Series and Karen McManus Books
The series continues with One of Us Is Next. McManus’s other books include Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You’ll Be the Death of Me and Nothing More to Tell. Each is a standalone with a new cast, so you can read in any order. They are all clean enough for most teens, with violence that stays mostly off the page.
Related: what age One of Us Is Lying is appropriate for and books like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What book is most like One of Us Is Lying?
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Karen McManus’s other mysteries are the closest matches.
Is One of Us Is Lying for middle schoolers?
It has some mature themes, so it’s usually recommended for ages 13 and up.
Is there a sequel?
Yes. One of Us Is Next continues the story.